Grape huller



5 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY w.l J. `STOVER GRAPE HULLER Filed March 5,1928 April 21, 1931;

MSN.

Y lApril 21, 1931. w STQVER 1,802,225

GRAPE HULLER Filed March 5, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTOR N EY April 2l,1931. w. J. STOVER GRAPE HULLER Filed March 5, 1928 5 Sheets-Shree?r 3ATTO R N EY April 21, 1931. w, J, STOVER GRAPE HULLER 5 Sheets-Sheet 4Filed March 5, 1928 W. J. STOVER GRAPE HULLER April 21, 1931.

5 Sheets-Sheen Filed March 5, l928 m m .@N r., ffii l lelr W Hin 0 y SM4 xwfv f n M l Pw N\N Patented pr. 214, 1931 PATENroFi-ICE WILLIAM J.STOVER, F FRUITLAND PARK, FLORIDA GRAPE HUILER Applicationv sied Maren5, 192s. serial No..259,251.

The present invention.V relates to machines for separating the hullsfrom the pulp of grapes and has for an object to provide a mechanismthat will effectively and economically operate for this purpose.

Further objects are to provide in a machine of this character effectivefeeding mechanism whereby thergrapes will be fed to the hullingmechanism, periodically presenting a single line of grapes to saidhulling mechanism, and preventing otherv grapes from being fed theretountil the operation on the said line has been completed.

The mechanism by means of which the above objects are accomplishedcomprises in its broad essentials a -tiltable inclined hopper upon whichthe grapes are placed, adjacent the lower open end of which is placed acylinder beneath which is a movable' pressure plate.

A gate is positioned between theopen end of the hopper and the rollerwhich is opened through suitable mechanism in timed relation to thecylinder and hopper for permitting the grapes to be delivered onto thepressure plate. Tilting beams are .provided connected with a suitabledrive shaft and through these beams .all the mechanism Yof the'machineis driven.

Further objects of the invention are. to provide means forv ypreventingstagnation vofgrapes in the hopper and for keeping them moving uniformlytoward the delivery end thereof.

' Still further objects are to provide for the breaking of the hulls ofthe grapes beforeV subjecting themfto pressure, and to insure againstthe hulls and pulp being delivered to the same receptacle.

In the drawingss- Figure l is a side elevation of a machine constructedin accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view ofthe same. Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectionon the lline 3--3 of Figure 2 showing the relation of the various partsof the machine.

Figure 4: is an enlarged detail view in section on the line 4 1 vofFigure l showing the construction of the hulling cylinder.

Figure 5 isa section on line 5-5 of Figure 4t and showing the ratchetconnection betweenthe drive pulley and the cylinder.

Figure 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Figure showing the connection ofthe supporting web to the cylinder and to the supporting shaft. Y

Figure 7 is a sectionv on line 7 7 of Figure 4 showing the pawl andratchet connection between the shaft and cylinder for preventingbackward movement of the i hulling cylinder. Figure 8 is a section online 8- 8 of Figure l showing certain details of ,construcL tion bywhich the fruit is kept moving in the hopper. u j Figure 9 is a sectionon line 9 9 of FigureS showing the connection between the actuating rodand the, above mentioned means for keeping the fruit in motion.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 10 designates the frame of themachine which comprises upright supporting members 10a andlongitudinally extending beams l0?) and cross members 10c with othersuitable bracing and supporting structures.

with the bottom vof the hopper. The hopper ispivotally mounted betweenuprights 10a at the rear of the frame by means of a rod l2 journaled inisuitable bearings 13 secured to the bottom of the hopper. rlhe forwardend of the hopper is supported by a certain link construction whichvwill hereinafter be described. l

being in co-operative relation with a pressure Vplate 15 in contacttherewith on its lower side and in slidable relation thereto.

Extending transversely of the frameI and' lying in a plane at an angleto the vertical and adjacent the discharge vend `of the hop. ,l

per is a stationary wall 16 having its upper edge sloping downwardly inthe direction of the roller 13, the hopper being adapted to be tilted onits axis by suitable mechanism hereinafter described to bring thedischarge end below the upper edge of the wall 16 or in alignmenttherewith alternately as the machine operates in the process of hullinggrapes or the like.

In order that the grapes may be delivered from the hopper to the hullingmechanism in a uniform, constant stream and in periodic groups so thatthe hulling of each group may be completed before another group ispresented, the machine is provided with the following mechanism:Slidably mounted upon the wall 16 and on the side thereof toward theroller 13 is a gate 17 preferably of sheet metal which is yieldably eldin its closed position by means of a spring 18 and is guided in itssliding movement by means of a bracket 18a V-shaped in cross sectionwhich is provided between the converging walls with ball or rollerbearings 19 to facilitate the sliding movement of the gate.

The hopper is provided with an endless belt 20 trained about spacedrollers 21 and 22 adjustable relative to the bottom of the hopper inorder to accommodate the saine to various sized fruit and the forwardend of the trough is provided with a cross .beam 23 spanning the upperends of spaced blocks 24 which extend longitudinally of the dischargeend of the hopper in order to present the grapes uniformly at the gate17. Between the ate and the hulling mechanism is provi ed a trough 25V-shaped in cross section and adapted to receive from the hopper asingle line of grapes, said trough extending transversely of themachine. The trough is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings in position toreceive the line of grapes which have lodged between the slopin upperedge of the wall 16 and the gate 17. Figure 3 shows the trough inposition to discharge said grapes to the hulling mechanisms.

Pivotally connected to the frame of the machine by means of supportinglinks 26 and 27 are lift bars 28 connected together by a cross bar 29and adapted to be raised and lowered through certain link connections,hereinafter to be described, for raising and lowering the discharge endof the hopper 11 respectively to position in alignment of the upper edgeof the wall 1G as shown in Figure 3 and to a position below the upperedge as shown in Figure 1. The contact of the upper end of the bars 28with the hopper 1s cushioned by means of heads 29 secured to rods 30slidably mounted in ears 31 formed on the arms, 28, the cushioningfunction being effected through compression springs mounted between thehead and the uppermost of the ears 31. The hopper is limited in itspivotal movement by means of links 33 pivotally secured to the frame attheir lower ends by bolts 34 and provided at their upper ends by slots35 in which are slidably mounted suitable connecting means as bolts 36connected with the hopper.

The operation of the various mechanical elements described above iseffected through rocker beams 37 pivotally mounted on the frame by meansof bolts 38 and having a swinging movement toward and from the gate 17controlling the discharge end of the hopper. The angular movement of therocker beams is effected through a link 38 connected to the crank arms39 of a shaft i() journaled transversly of the frame in suitablebearings 11, the shaft 40 having the usual fiy wheel lf2 securedthereupon and the link 38 being connected intermediate of the rockerbeams to a transverse rod 43 secured to said rods toward, but spacedfrom the upper ends thereof. The lift bars 28 are connected with therocker beams by means of links L14: pivoted at their ends respectivelyto the lift bars and to the rocker beams. The pressure plates 15 areconnected with the rocker beams through links t5 pivotally connected attheir ends to the rocker beams and to suitable supporting arms 416pivotally mounted upon the frame 10 by bolts as at L17, the pressureplate 15 being connected with the supporting arms by means of rods 18pivotally connected to the upper ends of said arms by bolts 49 and heldin tangential contact with the rollers 13 by means of springs 50adjustably secured to brackets 51 by means of screw bolts 52 held inadjusted position by nuts 53, the springs being connected with eyes 54:at the lower ends of said bolts and Vsimilarly at secured to the rods48. The

lower end of the gate 17 is pivotally connected with one end of links56, the opposite end of said links being pivotally connected with theframe as at 57 and the lifting bars 28 are provided with lugs 58 whichextend over the links 56 and are adapted to contact therewith in thedownward movement of the lift bars for opening gate 17 to release a lineof fruit deposited upon the upper edge of the wall 16. As the gateopens, the trough 25 is presented in position to receive the grapes,said trough being directed in its movements through arms 59 securedthereto and pivotally connected to links 60 which are in turn connectedat their opposite ends to the rocker beam 37 as shown at 61. The trough25 is pivotally mounted upon a bridge member 62 extending transverselyof the frame and secured to said frame at its respective ends. Rockerarms G3 are pivotally secured to the frame and are provided at theirupper ends with a feed plate y64 having a knife 65 secured in Vthe edgethereof,-towardy the pressure vplate 15. The arms 63 are normallyyieldably maintained in their rearward position` by means of springs 66secured at their ends to the arms andy to the frame. The cylinder 13 isdriven through a pulley 67 rotatably mounted on the shaft68 supported bythe arm 15, said shaft 68 `also constituting the support for thecylinder, the cylinder being rotatably connected therewithrby means ofwebs 69, 70 and 71 connected to the cylinder by screws 72 and rotatablymounted upon the shaft, each of the webs being provided with hub members73, 74 and 75 respectively and with circumferential flanges 76, 77 and78. The pulley and the cylinder are both loosely mounted on the shaft 68for rotation relative thereto and the pulley is in driving connectionwith the cylinder through spring pressed dogs 79 and a ratchet 80internally Varranged and rigidly connected with thel flange 76 of theweb 69 secured to the cylinder.

The movement of the cylinder is in anticlockwise direction and backwardmovement of the cylinder is prevented by a lock ratchet 81 formedinternally of theflange 78 which cooperates with dogs 82 hingedlysecured at 83 to a collar 84 which in turn is rigidly secured to theshaft 68, the shaft being held against rotation by lock nuts 85 and 86located on either side of the supporting brackets k14. The pulley 67 isdriven by a belt 87 wound thereabout and lying inthe grooved periphery88 thereof. The ends of the belt are connected with a rod 89 which isslidably mounted upon the frame and is connected at one end with therocker beam 3721s at 90. The'belt is yieldably attached by means of aspring 91 to the rod inter'- mediate of its ends and the opposite endthereof is connected to the pivotal connection between the rod and therocker beam. The sliding connection between the rod'89 and the uprightvsupporting `members 10a is designated at 92. n p f Associated with thecylinder 13 is a scraper member 93 secured to arms 94 pivoted to theframe at 95 and held in yieldable engagement with the roller by means ofthe springs 96 secured at one end to the frame and at the other end tolinks 97 whichl are pivotally connected with the arms 94.

Adjacent the discharge end of the hopper 11 and mounted between the sideframe 11a thereof is a bumper device 98 comprising a rubber tube 99having in its bore a spring 100, the ends of which are connected withears 101 secured to the side frame 11a. Centrally of the tube 99 is anaperture 102 through which a rod 103 projects, the end of the rodinteriorly of the tube being provided with a head 104 to preventdisconnectionV thereof from the tube.

vunder the influence of the spring 28.

grapes are then delivered` by the trough Adjacent the lower end of therod is provided a trip lug 105 lying in the path of a finger 106.securedto the link 27 so that with each operation of the link, and movementdownward of the members 28, the rod 103 will be given a downward pulland will be suddenly released causing abumping action of the tube 99against the under side of the hopper and in this manner preventingstagnation of the progress of the grapes in their downward course towardthe gate 17. As the grapes are fed from the trough 25 over the feedplate 64, the knife 65 is moved against the action of .spring 66 andsuch action being caused by' pressure of the member 15 against the lug107 secured to the under side of the members 64. The knife contacts withthe grapes cutting the skin thereof and the grapes are then drawn underthe roller by the rotation of the roller and the pulp squeezed out, saidpulp falling down on the feed side of the roller and dropping on theinclined chute 108 into the receptacle 109. The hulls are carried underthe roller and are scraped off by the blade 93 and are similarlydeposited on the inclined chute 110 and are directed into the receptacle111, thus the hulls and pulps are separated from eachother and aredirected into different vessels.

The operation of themachine is as follows: Grapes are dumped into thehopper 11 and gravitate toward the discharge end thereof, the endlessbelt 2O revolving in a clockwise'direction has a tendency to move thegrapes rearwardly allowing only the single lower layer to progresstherebeyond to the discharge end. The grapes are separated by the blocks24 and are Adelivered against the wall 16. As the Ycrank shaft 40revolves, the discharge end of the hopper is moved upwardly to alignmentwith the upper edge of the wallr16 which is of a thickness to` receiveand support a singleV line of grapes only thereupon, the forward side ofthe grapes resting against the gate 17 which is in closed position asshown.VK in Figure 3. AAs the crank shaft rotates further, the dischargeend of the hopper is moved downwardly to preventk more than the singleline of grapes being delivered to the trough 25.

At a suitable time, the gate 17 is drawn downward by Vmeans of the lugs58 on'bars 28 pressing the arms 56 downward and the i' line of grapes soheld on the upper edge of the wall 16 are delivered into the trough 25and the gate is again allowed to close The onto the member 64, beingheld between the converging elements presented by the lower portion'V ofcylinder 13 and plate 64, as-

sumedto have moved from the position of Fig. V3 to the left,.and as theshaft furtherv revolves, the arm 48 is moved forward carrying thepressure plates 15 under the knife carried by the member 64 andpermitting the knife to cut a slit in each grape of the line presented.The cutting or slitting movement is produced under the tension ofsprings 66 which draw the knife 65 to the right in Figures 1 and 3. Thegrapes are then drawn between the roller and the pressure plate 15 andthe pulp squeezed out in the manner indicated above, the hulls passingunder the roller and the roller being prevented by the dogs 82 from arearward movement due to the back movement of the rod 89 and the belt S7connected therewith, the pulps dropping down because pressure plate 15now moves to the right, providing an opening under cylinder 13, thepulps assing into the receptacle 109 and the hulls roppmg down and beingdeposited into the receptacle 111.

In the manner above described, a single line of grapes is operated on ata time and a second line is prevented from delivering to the rolleruntil the operation of the first line has been completed.

It should be added that bar 33 governs the position of the hopper,insuring perfect delivery of the grapes, and that a wire or the like33', secured to the hopper, slides freely through an eye of the finger106 carried by crossbar 29. The eye portion, on the downward movement,engages adjustable element 33 on wire 33', and trips the latch 29 ofelement 29 from the lug 105, permitting the quick movement at thispoint, before referred to.

Having described my invention what I claim is 1. In a grape hullingmachine, a rotatable cylinder, hull cutting means movable transverselyof the axis of the cylinder and beneath the latter, a pressure plate,and means for moving this plate toward and away from the cutting deviceand beneath the cylinder.

2. In a grape hulling machine, hulling mechanism comprising a cylinder,a pressure plate in tangential relation thereto, hull cutting meansreciprocable toward the ressure plate, means for periodically rotat ingsaid cylinder, means for preventing back movement thereof and means fordelivering the grapes to said hulling mechanism.

3. A machine for hulling grapes, comprising a hopper having an opendischarge end, hulling mechanism in spaced relation and adjacent saiddischarge end, said hulling mechanism comprising a movable pressureplate and a cylinder rotatably mounted in tangential relation to saidplate, means for controlling the discharge end of said hopper, a troughfor receiving a single line of grapes from said hopper and deliveringthe same to said hulling mechanism, and

means for operating the trough, cylinder and pressure plate in timedrelation to each other.

4. In a device of the character described, a sloping hopper having anopen discharge end and means for controlling the discharge of fruit fromthe end of said hopper, a cylinder spaced from said discharge end and apressure plate co-operating therewith, a pulley associated with saidcylinder and a elt surounding said pulley, a rod slidably mounted on theframe of said device, the ends of said belt being connected with therod, means for moving said rod horizontally of the device and means foroperating the control means in timed relation thereto.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

VILLIAM J. STOVER.

